It is known that buildings can be provided with various alarm systems. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/434,390 discloses a method of displaying event information from a building system where the event is a non-normal condition generated within a building system. Information regarding the building is displayed on a display portion. The displayed information is selectable and changeable by a user. An alarm graphic can also be displayed which relates to a non-normal condition in a building. A user may elect to show a floor plan, which discloses the status of fire system alarm generating devices. However, while this graphic may be displayed, the user is unaware of the spatial relationships that exist between users in the building and the building's structural characteristics.
A responder assets management system (RAMS) is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/038,572. The disclosed system utilizes information available to responders including emergency response personnel including local weather, national weather, and links to other information. The system also provides virtual walkthrough capability of a building or facility. However, while providing this virtual walkthrough, there is no ability for the user to scale and zoom to determine exact spatial relationships.
Finally, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/177,577 discloses a system and method for detecting monitoring and evaluating hazardous situations in a structure. Sensors having two-way communication capability are strategically located in a structure or in a matrix of structures. These units are high-level multi-functional detectors that communicate with a base computer. However, as with the other systems discussed above, there is no spatial relationship provided for users so that they can determine their exact relationship within a structure.